Mark Munoz: 'Hector Lombard Is Mediocre at Best'

There is no doubt that Hector Lombard has been somewhat of a disappointment since joining the UFC last year. The former Bellator champion was touted as being a guy that could challenge middleweight champion Anderson Silva pretty quickly once he got in the organization.

That was three fights and two losses ago.

Coming off his unanimous decision loss in Japan to Yushin Okami last week, a guy who Lombard has called out in the past had some choice words for the former Olympic judoka.

That guy is Mark Munoz.

Since Hector Lombard has been in the UFC, he's been mediocre at best...He's been fighting high caliber fighters. Yushin Okami has been in the top five for a long time, so he's no slouch, but at the same time, he was asking for a title shot...I felt like he needed to prove his own in the weight class.

Those seem like fighting words to me. Plus, I am sure fans would be interested to see that grudge match play out.

Both have fallen on some difficult times as of late.

Lombard is 1-2 in the UFC, dropping decisions to Tim Boetsch and Okami while earning a win over Rousimar Palhares. This is a far cry away from his huge winning streak previous to entering the Octagon.

As for Munoz, he recently had a four-fight winning streak snapped at the hands of the ever-hot Chris Weidman, who put him to sleep with some nasty elbows. Further than that loss, Munoz suffered a foot injury that has kept him out since.

Both are likely on the outside of the top 10 looking in. This fight would be an opportunity for one of them to step back into that prestigious circle.

When asked if Munoz was interested in fighting Lombard, he did not shy away from the question.

If down the road, if it presents itself, yeah, I'd fight Hector Lombard...I'm definitely a guy that accepts any fight that the UFC throws at me.

A possible matchup would definitely be interesting. Lombard has good takedown defense due to his years as a high-level judo player, but he would be taking on a wrestler with similar skills to Okami, who he lost to last weekend.

Lombard would definitely have the striking advantage, as he is a more refined puncher with jaw-breaking knockout power.

I could definitely see these two scrapping on a Fuel TV or Fox card. It's just a matter of timing, which consists of both men being healthy and ready to fight at the same time.

The implications of this fight would be huge for both men.

The UFC has invested heavily in Lombard, and another loss may lead to him earning his walking papers. On the flip side, a win for Lombard would shoot him back into the top-10 and get him another chance to earn a contender spot at 185.

For Munoz, he may be a tad safer than Lombard. Should he lose, he would likely keep his job (despite the UFC's influx of talent that will likely be cut) because he is cheaper than Lombard and was on a great winning streak before the loss to Weidman.

A win, though, would get Munoz his momentum back and earn him a big fight.

If it does materialize, get your popcorn ready; it could be a fun one.